Sunday, September 08, 2019

Cirrus SR22 GTS X G3 Turbo, N878SR: Accident occurred September 01, 2019 in Foley, Baldwin County, Alabama

The National Transportation Safety Board did not travel to the scene of this accident.

Additional Participating Entities:
Federal Aviation Administration / Flight Standards District Office; Birmingham, Alabama
Continental Aerospace Technologies; Mobile, Alabama 
Cirrus Aircraft; Duluth, Minnesota 

Aviation Accident Preliminary Report - National Transportation Safety Board:https://app.ntsb.gov/pdf 
  
https://registry.faa.gov/N878SR


Location: Foley, AL
Accident Number: ERA19LA264
Date & Time: 09/01/2019, 1520 CDT
Registration: N878SR
Aircraft: Cirrus SR22
Injuries: 4 None
Flight Conducted Under: Part 91: General Aviation - Personal 

On September 1, 2019, about 1520 central daylight time, a Cirrus Design Corporation SR22, N878SR, experienced a loss of engine power and was substantially damaged during a forced landing at Foley, Alabama. The private pilot and three passengers were not injured. The airplane was privately owned and operated under the provisions of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations Part 91 as a personal flight. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. No flight plan was filed for the flight that originated from Jack Edwards National Airport (JKA), Gulf Shores, Alabama, about 1510 and was destined for Concordia Parish Airport (0R4), Vidalia, Louisiana.

The private pilot stated that he completed the preflight inspection, engine run-up, and before-takeoff checks with no anomalies noted. About 10 minutes after departure, while climbing to cruise altitude and turning to avoid a storm cell, he felt the engine "buffet" then observed a loss in engine RPM. When he turned the airplane toward JKA, the engine stopped producing power and the propeller ceased rotating. He declared an emergency and moved the throttle to idle then full forward; however, the engine did not respond. He aimed for a field to initiate a forced landing.

The airplane owner, who was seated in the front left seat, reported no anomalies during climbout until the airplane reached about 2,500 ft agl. At that time, he said it felt like "when you take the foot off the gas in your car. It just stopped producing power." He stated that he cycled the throttle; however, the engine did not respond. When the airplane reached 1,200 ft agl, he suggested activation of the Cirrus Airframe Parachute System (CAPS). The pilot concurred, and the owner activated the CAPS.

The other passengers stated that everything seemed normal until the airplane turned away from the thunderstorm cell, at which point they felt a thud, heard some beeps that quickly stopped, and felt the plane descending. They reported that after turning back toward the airport, they heard lots of beeps and could no longer feel the engine.

Initial examination of the wreckage by a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector revealed that the airplane descended via parachute and landed upright in a field. The fuselage aft of the firewall exhibited buckling and cracking, the bottom portion of the rudder exhibited a crack about 7-8 inches in length, and the nose gear was detached from its mounting location. The flap selector switch was in the 50% position, the fuel lever was in the left tank position, and the fuel pump was in the boost position.

According to FAA airman records, the pilot held a private pilot certificate with ratings for airplane single-engine land and instrument airplane. His most recent FAA second-class medical certificate was issued May 23, 2019. He reported 390 hours of total flight time, 102 hours of which were in the accident airplane make and model.

According to FAA airworthiness records, the low-wing airplane was manufactured in 2007. It was equipped with a Continental Motors IO-550-N series, 310-horsepower engine. According the pilot, the most recent annual inspection, as well as other maintenance that included installation of a new cylinder, was completed the week prior to the accident flight.

The 1535 recorded weather observation at JKA included wind from 140° at 5 knots, visibility of 10 miles, clear skies, temperature 29° C, dew point 25° C, and an altimeter setting of 29.98 inches of mercury.

The airplane was retained for further examination.

Aircraft and Owner/Operator Information

Aircraft Make: Cirrus
Registration: N878SR
Model/Series: SR22 NO SERIES
Aircraft Category: Airplane
Amateur Built: No
Operator: On file
Operating Certificate(s) Held: None

Meteorological Information and Flight Plan

Conditions at Accident Site: Visual Conditions
Condition of Light: Day
Observation Facility, Elevation: KJKA, 17 ft msl
Observation Time: 1535 CDT
Distance from Accident Site: 3 Nautical Miles
Temperature/Dew Point: 29°C / 25°C
Lowest Cloud Condition: Clear
Wind Speed/Gusts, Direction: 5 knots / , 140°
Lowest Ceiling: None
Visibility:  10 Miles
Altimeter Setting: 29.98 inches Hg
Type of Flight Plan Filed: None
Departure Point: Gulf Shores, AL (JKA)
Destination: Vidalia, LA (0R4)

Wreckage and Impact Information

Crew Injuries: 1 None
Aircraft Damage: Substantial
Passenger Injuries: 3 None
Aircraft Fire: None
Ground Injuries: N/A
Aircraft Explosion: None
Total Injuries: 4 None
Latitude, Longitude: 30.368611, -87.687778 (est)

1 comment:

  1. Good when the parachute works as planned. Many times the chute is deployed at such a high speed that it is ineffective.

    ReplyDelete